The reception is a collaboration between the National Sports Association and the Dependency Center Stockholm. The need was as great as it turned out to come as a surprise to Franck.

- I didn't understand that connection before. It was explained that it can often be difficult for elite athletes because they are often traveling. Then there is also a stigma factor, you might not expect elite athletes to have mental health problems and therefore may not seek help, he says.

Elite athletes and coaches who are active in national teams and over 18 years may seek care at the reception. Athletes who have recently completed their elite careers are also welcome. In five years, more than 300 people in this category have sought help.

- I think this figure shows that this business is really needed. It shows that elite athletes are like people in general. They have problems with mental illness, anxiety, sleep problems and even some more serious problems such as eating disorders and such things, says Franck.

One factor in the popularity of the reception, Franck believes, is the availability. The service is marketed by the Swedish Sports Federation.

- As an elite athlete, it can be more difficult to get to health care. You may not want to seek care in your home town because you are little known or you think it would hurt your sports career if it turned out that you are mentally ill.

REPORTAGE: Magyar on mental ill-health: "As a classic man you have to tackle everything" (October 26, 2019)

The browser is not supported

SVT does not support playback in your browser. We therefore recommend that you switch to another browser.

Learn more about browser support

Javascript is turned off

Javascript must be turned on to play video

Learn more about browser support